Coutinho is a top target for the Spanish giants this summer, and the player is up for a move.
Liverpool have turned down bids of £72m and £90m so far, leading to Coutinho slapping down a transfer request.
Barcelona need to revamp their squad and have cash to burn after Neymar’s £198m move to Paris St-Germain.
And Ayestaran thinks they are onto a winner with Coutinho.
“First of all, there are no two ways about it: Barca simply need a player like Coutinho, both tactically and for his quality.
“From a tactical point of view, I think he is a perfect fit," he wrote in The Independent.
He added: “They have already lost Xavi while Andres Iniesta is already in the latter stages of his career so will play less, and they thereby don’t manage to control the ball in the middle of the pitch in the same way, or make it arrive for the forwards at the right pace. They have lost that.”
Liverpool say they won’t be selling Coutinho, but BT Sport pundit Dean Saunders says he thought the Brazilian would move as soon as Barcelona got in touch.
“As soon as the phone call came in from Barcelona I thought ‘he’s gone’,” he said on BT Sport.
“It’s very difficult to stop a player.
"There’s probably only two clubs he’s leave Liverpool for - Barcelona and Real Madrid.
“One of them’s come knocking and I think the minute that call happened, he’s gone.”
